Old Selling Secret Improves Sales

Are you looking for a way to really impress your prospect? Here’s an old sales secret; it’s one of the simplest ways. Send a handwritten thank you note after your meeting.

Thank you notes work following job interviews too

I had the pleasure of attending a networking group meeting last night for the Career Marketplace Search group that meets at the Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena California. When the guest speaker on Emotional Intelligence had to cancel because of illness, the group coordinators substituted a session on job search skills. I suggested that one technique that works really well for those who actually get the interview is to remember to send a handwritten thank you note. Sandy Edge, the program facilitator, reinforced my point by reminding the group that a couple members of the group had come back to report that they got their job offers because they were the only finalists to send thank you notes.

Use handwritten, personalized thank you notes to differentiate you

While this blog is about sales and marketing, remember that job-search candidates need to sell their perspective employers just as much as you do your prospects. A handwritten note will set you apart. Most people won’t make the effort.

Sending a hand written thank you note isn’t a miracle worker. But it does help you differentiate yourself. Just like in the horse race, you don’t need to be miles better than the second-place finisher. You just need to be marginally better so little things count.

In the day when technology often makes us feel isolated, a handwritten note helps make or reinforce the connection. This technique is ideally suited to heart-centered, soft sell salespeople. Few things tell your “prospectors” (prospects who are looking to buy a solution to their wants and needs) that you actually care about them.

Personalized thank you notes demonstrate your heart-centered concern for your customers

But to be effective, it needs to be personal, not just another form letter. Make reference to something specific, some connection that you had with them or, better yet, some idea that you suggested to help them. You can even bring up some idea you had to help them out after the meeting was over.

Like in all human relations, when connecting with clients or customer, it’s often little things that count the most. Taking the time and effort to job personal note says a lot about how much you actually care. This is a sales technique known by the best salespeople for decades. It only looks like a secret because so few people practice it. And while it is not unique to heart-centered, soft sell salespeople, it’s an activity that arises naturally out of your concern for your customers.

Whom can you send a thank you note to today? If you don’t have a prospect or customer you just spoke with, choose someone who has taught you something or done something to help you. Send a note now. I think you will enjoy the feeling that comes with sincere gratitude.